[novato48]

Hi,

I had gotten virus and I tried to reinstall Win XP Pro SP2. It did not complete.
I manged to restore all my files from a backup but now when I boot I am asked which OS to boot, Win XP Pro or Win XP Pro Setup.

How do I delete the Win Xp Pro setup boot?
How exactly should I edit the boot.inis below?

Copies of the 2 current boot.ini files from System, Startup Recovery, Advanced, Settings.

1) "Microsoft Windows XP Profressional Setup"

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Setup"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin

2) "Microsoft Windows XP Professional/fastdetect/noexecute=optin

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Setup"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin

Thanks in advance for the help.

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Go to Start - Run and type boot.ini press enter
You should be able to see your Boot.ini
Now go ahead and change the file to this state :

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin

and you should be fine

[crc]

Go to Start - Run and type boot.ini press enter
You should be able to see your Boot.ini
Now go ahead and change the file to this state :

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin

and you should be fine

[novato48]

Thanks for the quick solution. Should I jsut delete the:

1) "Microsoft Windows XP Professionals Setup"
[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Setup"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin

[crc]

Yes , feel free to do so !!!!

[novato48]

Well, I deleted the other one. It apparently was the C: drive's boot.ini and now all I get when I bootup is a Win XP Setup window asking me to insert the WinXp Pro Setup CD

When I insert the CD into the CD Rom starts up and then ask me to insert the CD. I keeps going through this loop. It ask me to insert CD, I do, the CR-Rom drive starts up then stops and then asks me again to insert the CD. It's and endless loop.

It seems that I have partial install hungup.

Now what?

Since it is my only computer I have to go to the library to research this problem.

All help is appreciated.

[Adrenalin]

Try repairing the old XP installation by reading this

after you have done that, let me know if it works, then i will show you how to remove the XP Pro setup boot screen option.

[novato48]

I did as sugested and changed the boot sequence in the bios to boot to CD-ROM but it sdidn't seem to help.

When it booted up the CD-Rom drive started then stopped and then there was a very brief glimpse of the installation screen showing that it had done a dynamic update and was now preparing to install.

Then the blue insert CD labeled Win XP Pro SP2WinXP appeared and this started the loop of insert CD preses enter, insert CD, press enter......

What do you think?

[Adrenalin]

I found the following that seems to be the same as yours, if yours 'hangs' at 34min like this one does, you can follow these steps, if not, please post back and let me know when it hangs. Please DO NOT follow these steps if your setup does not hang at 34min and remember, this client's modem was faulty, yours could be something else. If you are not comfortable doing this, or don't understand it, then rather leave it and we will try find a better way of doing this.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You want to install XP professional and suddenly you realize that it freezes up at the mention of 34 minutes remaining! You try all your efforts to make it running but nothing seems to be working to your dismay. You try checking your RAM, checking for any bad sectors in your hard drive, even your motherboard (as I have done) but cannot make a conclusion as to what’s the answer to your woes.

So what is the solution to the defamed 34 minute XP installation hangup problem?
Its as simple as deleting a simple file which caused the installation to freeze.

• Let the XP hang up at 34 minutes remaining for the first time
• remove the CD from the CDROM and reboot
• Dont enter the CD when the installation asks for it, instead open the DOS prompt (Shift + F10)
• goto C:/Windows and type setupapi.log, hit enter
• The setupapi.log file opens in a notepad
• Scroll to the very last few lines in the file and search for the word “inf”
• You will notice that in the last few moments the installation created a file with the extension “.inf” before dying out (in my case it was the faulty modem for which XP created the file mdmcxpt.inf).
• It means that the device mentioned in the last few lines is faulty and you have to make the installation skip through it.
• Close the notepad and go to the folder C:/windows/inf in command prompt
• Browse through the files to find the “.inf” which was related to the faulty device.
• Straightaway delete the inf file (eg: del mdmcxpt.inf)
• now put in the XP installation CD and Continue the installation

It will not put in the drivers related to the faulty device and so it wont freeze this time !!

[novato48]

The Win XP Pro installation screen only shows up for a 4 secs then goes to the"Install CD-Rom" screen. During those few seconds I did see that The 'Dynamic Update" button had been filled in while the "Preparing to Install" button had not been filled in. The progress bar at the bottom only had a few bars filled in.

I tried to bring up the Dos prompt but to no avail.

Any help is appreciated.

[wannabe1]

When you boot to the cd, do you get to the "Welcome to Setup" screen where you are given the option to repair or to install?

[novato48]

No, unfortunately I do not get that screen it pretty much goes to the "Insert Win XP Pro Setup CD' screen

[wannabe1]

Tell me more about your machine and install disk.

Is it a brand name machine like Dell or HP? If it is, what is the make and model number?

Is there a floppy drive on the machine and do you have access to a second machine with a floppy drive?

Is your cd a recovery cd that came with the machine, a retail Microsoft cd, or an upgrade cd?

[novato48]

My machine is a:
Dell P$
2.66mghrz
758RAM
40 gig HDD- approx 9 gigs available
CD-DVD-Floppy drives (I have access to another computer with a floppy)

Windows XP Professional CD
Multi license copy

[wannabe1]

Let's see if using the floppy startup set will get us where we need to be in order to rebuild the boot instructions. This will require 6 floppy diskettes.

Download the Boot Floppy Set for your installed operating system (Windows XP Professional...SP2 if you have that version). Save the file to your desktop. Double click on the downloaded file to begin creating the startup set...you will be prompted to insert each diskette when required.

Use these floppies to boot the bad machine and see if you can get as far as the "Welcome to Setup" screen.

[novato48]

Problem resolved.

The blue screen “Windows XP Professional Setup insert CD and hit enter” loop that I kept getting is resolved.

The problem started when I impatiently deleted, from the System, Startup Recovery, Advanced, Edit settings, the file

1) "Microsoft Windows XP Professionals Setup"

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=5
Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
[Operating Systems]
C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Setup"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin

I down loaded to a floppy the files Ntldr, Ntdetect.com, from a computer running Win XP Pro SP2, and created the boot.ini file

[boot loader]
timeout=15
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

I ran it from the floppy drive and problem solved

Thanks to all for your help.